EVERTON skipper Alan Stubbs is relishing making the critics eat their words.

EVERTON skipper Alan Stubbs is relishing making the critics eat their words.

After a summer of turmoil, when many pundits predicted the Blues were favourites for relegation, yesterday's deserved 1-0 defeat of Middlesbrough ensured the club's best start to a season since 1978-9.

Manager David Moyes pointed to the siege mentality which has helped revive the club when he brought skipper Alan Stubbs to the post-match press conference.

"I think it's time for the players to do the speaking," he explained.

"They're doing it on the pitch. So I've asked them to do the talking.

"They've got themselves in a good position and it's down to their attitude which was unquestionable today, but has been since the start of the season and all the way through pre-season as well."

Stubbs added: "What do I put it down to? Hard work, a great bunch of lads - and turning all the rubbish that's been thrown at us into a positive. From day one of pre-season, basically, it's been like that.

"There's a great spirit amongst everyone, we all get on really well together and we respect each other as players. When you do that you get results on the pitch.

"We have got 11 honest lads who go onto that pitch and before we step out there we know what we're going to get. If we get anything more it's a bonus and there are a lot of lads playing with a lot of confidence at the moment."

On the best season's start since 1978, Stubbs added: "I know we have started off well. The best start for 26 years? That's great.

"But at the moment records don't really mean anything to us. We'll be judged on where we finish at the end of the season.

"It's a record it's nice to have, but I'd rather be saying this (after the) last game of the season."

And Stubbs referred to a far more recent vintage as the kind of season the Blues should aim for.

It was only two years ago that Everton defied the critics to finish seventh, only missing out on a place in Europe on the last day of the season.

"There's no reason why it can't be the same kind of season as two years ago. Absolutely no reason why not," he went on. "We've played some decent teams up to now.

"Every other press man was linking us with going down. We were going to be the team that was one of the three.

"It's nice to make you eat your words."

Boss David Moyes added: "The satisfaction for me is that we were probably written off by a lot of people. Not for one minute are we thinking we're over it.

"I know the players and myself had a long, old summer and it was mainly because of the way we played and the way we finished the season.

"So why should we not be quite pleased with ourselves now because we all suffered long and hard through those months?

"The only way we could put it right was when we came back and to be fair to the boys they have been extremely honest in their work.

"It doesn't matter what level of ability you've got, if you do it to the best of your ability nobody can complain - and everybody here, not just the players but the management, too - are trying to do it to their best of their ability."